


Year of the Cat

by agorophobia



Category: Persona 5
Genre: #ShuakeshuArtistSecretSanta, Cats, Fluff, Goro is a huge tsundere, M/M, Secret Santa, Third Semester, i had to crunch this due to my laptop exploding, it's shorter than i intended but please accept it, slight AU, spoilers for p5r
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28230573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agorophobia/pseuds/agorophobia
Summary: Akira has a way of ringing in the new year that Goro didn't expect. Written for the shuakeshu artist server Secret Santa exchange.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	Year of the Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Christmas @natnatk0, I'm your Secret Santa! You asked for cats and I hope this is satisfactory.

“Is this how you spend every new year? Squatting in an alley? I'd say it doesn't suit you, but depending on your answer I might have to revise that opinion.”

Akira turned around with a gloved finger pressed to his lips and a hardened glare behind his glasses that Goro rarely saw outside the Metaverse, surprising the smug detective into silence before his face softened and he turned back.

“C'mere kit, come get it...good cat.”

Stepping a little closer, Goro peered over his shoulder to see what this was all about – and smiled wryly. A grey and white cat was eating out of Akira's hand while he tried to coax another one, an orange tabby, closer with a treat held in his other hand. A third cat, a long haired color point with wide blue eyes, sat atop the right wall gazing down at the scene, much like Goro himself.

“So, not having people to spend today with, you're spending it with cats like a lonely old woman? Did your precious friends have better things to do?” His words were as snide as ever but his tone had noticeably softened.

“Maybe. But you're here too,” Akira pointed out matter-of-factually, unfazed by Goro's passive-aggressiveness. That coolheadedness of his always made a bitter flame flicker under Goro's breastbone, made him want to bite back for an instant before quickly infecting and calming him in turn.

“Isn't it just a...teammate's duty to check in with his leader when he sees something unusual? For all I know you could have been sick.” Goro bristled when Akira fought back a laugh as he choked over the word 'teammate'. How was it, he wondered, that he could get under his skin so quickly just be existing in the same space? “Then again perhaps I should have just kept walking even if you were.”

“I get it, I get it. Thank you very much for your kindness.” The mirth in Akira's voice simply spiked Goro's hair but he swallowed down a bitter biteback and squatted down next to him, staring at the orange cat who didn't want to come up closer and only seemed to shy away more as he watched it. Noticing this, Akira chided him gently. “Don't look at her. Direct eye contact with cats is a sign of aggression. You'll scare her away entirely if you keep staring.”

Goro's mouth twisted as he turned to look at Akira instead. “I doubt it will help. I'm not great with animals, never had pets growing up. They don't seem to like me much.”

“Doubting your leader's word, Crow?”

“I don't take orders from you outside the Metaverse.”

“You're so aloof. Just like them.” For the first time Akira turned to face him, a small fond smile tugging at his mouth. “It's cute, this catlike side of you that you don't show to anyone else.”

Cute. That was a word he often heard from older women, but it hit differently when Akira said it. It seemed more direct and less condescending coming from his lips, but Goro still turned away irritably and changed the subject. “You never answered me. Why are you out here? None of this is real, I assume you remember.”

“Ah, is that the root of your problem?” Before Goro could answer, Akira pressed onward. “Do you have something you'd rather I be doing? Should we be living in the Metaverse at all hours, or would you rather I sulk in my room, driving myself crazy thinking about this, like you appear to be doing?”

“I am not sulking in my room! I'm trying to figure this out. What kind of ideas do you have in your head?”

“Is there really a difference if you stay shut up inside thinking about it all day?”

Goro opened his mouth to retort but closed it just as quickly when nothing came to mind. Frustratingly, as usual, Akira had backed him into a corner. All he could do was hiss “I'm taking it seriously,” under his breath, but his irritating leader didn't appear to hear him. Either that or he didn't care, as he scratched the patchy cat behind the hollow of one of its ears.

As he continued to glare at Akira, Goro felt something tickling at his thigh. He turned quickly to see the orange cat draw back with a startled hiss from where it had been sniffing him.

“Ah, be careful. Remember what I told you about eye contact.” Akira spoke without looking up, moving to scratch the grey and white cat under its chin now. “That one has always been skittish, but she's curious about you. Relax and let her come over.”

“What makes you think I have any interest in these cats the way you do?”

“You're sitting down. Why not try to make friends as long as you're here?”

“Is there really a point to it?”

“No, but does there need to be?” Akira now picked up the patchy cat, who settled in his lap immediately as his voice lowered. “Animals love you no matter who you are. They don't judge or gossip.”

Goro bit the inside of his cheek as though Akira's words had stung him. Of course, the beginning on this year when he'd been truly and unfairly ostracized – he'd probably been feeding these cats ever since then. But then why was he still here instead of with the friends he'd made? Did he truly feel that insecure even now?

_That makes two of us._

Goro shook his head to clear it. No, he was not going to get into that right now. Fine, he'd distract himself the same way Akira was, if he was going to be that stubborn about it. It couldn't hurt. They could talk about the Palace – the actualization – later. Tonight, perhaps. For now he kept his eyes on Akira and the cat he was holding, resting his left hand palm up on his knee the way he had been before, and after a few minutes passed sure enough he felt that tickling against his leg once again.

“Don't move this time. Let her see you're not a threat.”

Goro let his eyes wander without turning his head. The orange cat was sniffing him, leaning forward with only its whiskers touching him, still not trusting him entirely.

_I wouldn't trust me either. You have good instincts._

He tried to rationalize it, but it still stung that this was yet another thing Akira was better than him at. Childish, ridiculous, he knew but it still gnawed at him. He'd wanted to get back to work to forget about this. At least in the Metaverse they were equals or nearly so despite him having years more experience. Caught right back up in his thoughts he almost didn't notice the sudden pressure on his leg.

“See? She doesn't hate you, you just needed to give her a chance.” Akira was smiling warmly at him as the orange cat stood up on Goro's leg, two front paws on his thigh, sniffing at his scarf.

“Are you speaking from your own experience?”

Akira's smile didn't falter, but his eyes flickered behind his glasses just for a moment. “Perhaps.” He reached up to adjust them, scooting closer to Goro carefully so as not to disturb either cat. “You gave me that chance after all. I'm glad you stopped by.”

Goro stiffly held out a gloved hand for the orange cat to sniff, which she did only briefly before going back to his scarf. “Don't think too deeply about it. We just can't have you getting sick.”

“It's sweet of you to care.” There was that infuriating smug tone again. Goro wanted to snap back at him, but if he startled the cats both of them could end up scratched.

“If that's how you want to see it.”

“No need to be coy.” Before Goro could think of a reply, Akira leaned over, gently ran a hand through his hair to turn his head, and placed a brief, chilly kiss on his lips. “Happy New Year.”

Goro turned away quickly, not wanting him to see the light flush that crept up his neck. The cat took this opportunity to bat at his long hair, making the flush darken with surprise. “Ah. Even if it's not real?”

“Even then. I'm glad we're spending it together.”

Goro still didn't look at him, but tentatively stroked the orange M-mark on the cat's head with one finger. “Then. Happy New Year to you too. I suppose.” He couldn't see it, but he still felt Akira's smile, radiating warmth. Maybe this wasn't so bad. For now.

Maybe he could stay here just a little longer.

**Author's Note:**

> I was so scared I wouldn't finish this on time. I was aiming for 2k words but somehow it just felt right to end it here. This is the first proper story I've written and finished in years and I'm really happy I got to be a part of this exchange. Let's hope 2021 doesn't screw us over the same way 2020 did.


End file.
